Am I the most ironic gun owner ever?

[dmw16]

I am posting this at the risk of getting myself flamed (hopefully kidding).

I was speaking with a friend and coworker today about gun owners and my interest in guns. He thinks I'm strange because I am 1) an NRA member, 2) an ACLU member, and 3) a left leaning libertarian (voted for Obama).

My interest in guns is self defense, concealed carry, and target shooting, but I am of the opinion that everyone has a right to own and legally carry firearms. I am a member of both the ACLU and NRA because I think the entire constitution is worth defending.

My reasons for voting for Obama are mostly because I am socially liberal and would be a libertarian if they had a candidate (I was really pulling for Ron Paul, but that didn't work out).

So I'm wondering, am I the only weirdo liberal/libertarian gun owner here

 

[HeavenlySword]

Well, I was an uber obama fanatic, volunteered, donated, own multiple obama shirts

Until i found out he was for the AWB, that is.

 

[mljdeckard]

You still don't top Dianne Feinstein.
I have discussed in here before the idea that the ACLU should now in light of Heller, open a branch to defend gun rights. But they obviously haven't, proving that they only have 9 fingers.

 

[dmw16]

I actually spoke to said coworker about the ACLU and guns. As best I can figure they are neutral. I imagine they do this to keep more support from their liberal donors.

The NRA focuses on the 2nd, so I am ok w/ the ACLU doing what they need to do to fund protecting the other 9.

 

[Dumptruck]

The ACLU should be defending the Bill of Rights in its entirety.

 

[dmw16]

100% Agree.

However, I think the NRA does a great job w/ the 2nd, and the ACLU is left to cover the other 9. So I let them slide a little.

The end result is someone is protecting all my rights. That's enough for me.

 

[Badlander]

I find it hard to believe that A member of this or any other gun board would vote for an anti gun socialist.
No wonder our country is in this condition!

 

[Kind of Blued]

I'm a left-leaning Libertarian that thinks one should be able to buy a machine gun at Sears. I don't think a drive-thru is necessary, but it shouldn't take much longer than that.

That being said, I rely upon a politician's respect for (and understanding of, I haven't had to qualify that until now) the Second Amendment as a sole factor in my development of an opinion on them as a person (potentially) in power. It's the ultimate barometer to find if someone wants to help people rule themselves or if they want to rule people themselves.

 

[JWarren]

You won't make many friends in the firearms community after voting for Obama.

Kinda like a Jew voting for David Duke...


-- John

 

[Walkalong]

So I'm wondering, am I the only weirdo liberal/libertarian gun owner here

Could be.....but probably not.

True Liberals should not be against guns and for socialism, by the way. Nor should they be for wealth "redistribution". It drags everything down to the lowest common denominator, puts *%$*# politicians in charge instead of smart, accomplished business men and women, and the poor remain poor, everywhere it has been tried.

I like guns...just to mention the topic we are supposed to be talking about...

 

[Lone_Gunman]

People vote their priorities. If you voted for Obama, then you obviously have priorities greater than the 2nd Amendment.

And thats fine, but you are delusional to claim otherwise.

 

[.38 Special]

Well, I'm a libertarian, but I'm not exactly sure what a right or left leaning libertarian might be. Seems to me that a good definition of "libertarian" is "social liberal, economic conservative". So any libertarian is automatically left-leaning, at least in one important way. That would seem to indicate that a "left leaning libertarian" tends toward economic liberalism as well -- and a "social liberal, economic liberal" is pretty much just a liberal, isn't he?

The short answer, I guess, is that this board is home to both liberal gun owners and libertarian gun owners, and I imagine at least a few of both categories voted for Obama. This seems to throw a certain kind of gun owner into a real tizzy -- presumably the kind that has no interest in any political issue aside from guns.

 

[SuperNaut]

I actually spoke to said coworker about the ACLU and guns. As best I can figure they are neutral.

This is incorrect. The ACLU has come out publicly in opposition to the Heller ruling. They continue to champion the intellectually bankrupt "collective right" interpretation of the 2A.

See this thread for more.

 

[lipadj46]

You won't make many friends in the firearms community after voting for Obama

Wow that's kind of harsh. I bet there are a lot more "pro gun" people that voted for Obama than you would think. Only a naive person would admit it freely though on a forum like this. This has been a rough 8 years for many and obviously lots of people were looking for a course correction and were willing to take a gamble on BO's views on firearms. The future presidents has real problems facing him that will take as much political capital as he can muster. By the time he is done there will be no more gas left to push any kind of real firearms legislation. Maybe he will close up the face-to-face transaction without a NICS check and the antis can declare some sort of victory. If there is any kind of ban though we have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing the current administration do what they have done for the past 8 years getting this country to the point where the majority of this countries' citizens felt this drastic of a change was necessary.

 

[ljnowell]

I dont see how a person who is in favor of CCW, RTKBA, could possibly vote for obama. I am from IL, and let me tell you, that guy is one of the biggest gun grabbers you will ever see. He supports the outright ban of all handguns in chicago, even in your home. He despises CCW, would never vote in favor of it. In his opinion, semi-automatic firearms should not be allowed period. Dont ask me to go and provide links, because I wont. I will not waste any of my time trying to convince someone their political views are off because it will never work. Just ask someone from IL. Near as we can tell the best part of him getting elected is DC is far away from us.

 

[Grassman]

You will find in the coming months and years that a lot of people were duped by the Obama machine.

 

[cbrgator]

Well, there is a difference between a gun owner and gun enthusiast. There are lots and lots of people who happen to own a gun, but don't really think too much about it, wouldn't miss it if it were gone. Then there are people like most of us who "cling" to our guns. It is part of (some of you a major part of) our hobbies/lives/livelihoods, etc. In that case it becomes a more important issue then to the happen-to-own-a-gun gun owner with greater priorities.

 

[ljnowell]

If there is any kind of ban though we have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing the current administration do what they have done for the past 8 years getting this country to the point where the majority of this countries' citizens felt this drastic of a change was necessary.

Wait, let me get this straight, if OBAMA signs an AWB it will be GWs fault? Thats gotta be one of the funniest things I have ever heard.

 

[John828]

thanks for the link, Supernaught.

 

[longdayjake]

liberal/libertarian

=oxymoron

Liberal and libertarian are completely different. Libertarians are mostly for keeping government out of your life whereas "liberals" are for government regulation to make everyone "free." In the USA those that call themselves liberals are actually closer to socialists because of their dependence on government regulation to support and control the people. They do however claim more "liberal" stances when it comes to abortion and "gay issues."

Libertarians as I understand it oppose abortion simply because it is one of those moments when the government can step in to prevent a "harm" to someone. Most libertarians (me included) think that government should have no place in marriage in the first place whether it is gay or straight marriage. Libertarians are basically of the belief that government exists to keep people from harming one another and then leave us the heck alone.

 

[heron]

Relax, dmw, I'm another liberal. However, to me, being liberal does not mean ignoring the crucial realities of life. I haven't forgotten the Boy Scout Motto.

 

[.38 Special]

There are more important things to me than guns. For instance, I think the size and scope of our government is the most pressing issue in politics today. If an electable candidate for President held the position that we need to drastically shrink the size and cost of the federal government, I would probably vote for him even if he was an anti. It just so happens that people who think our government is too big almost universally think we have too many gun laws too, so the above scenario is unlikely to pass. It illustrates, though, how I can understand a gun enthusiast voting for Obama.

 

[SuperNaut]

I encourage everyone in this thread that is a member of the ACLU to please consider the CATO Institute instead.

The ACLU isn't the only game in town.

 

[BHP FAN]

RPCVYeman beat you to it.No,seriouly,dude,there are waaay more gunowners than there are Republicans and Libertarians put together.Now,if y'all would join the NRA [I KNOW,you already did,but the rest of y'all] we'd GET somewhere.Good for you though,and wecome aboard.I myself am rabidly pro gun,a Libertarian at heart,registered as a Republican,read a lot work at a mill,shoot a bunch,ex-biker,ex-navy,family guy and I'll literally talk to anyone about guns or history.We really aren't all shotgun toting Fudds,though there's nothing wrong with that,and that's cool too,but we really aren't all the stereotype.

 

[cbrgator]

Libertarians as I understand it oppose abortion simply because it is one of those moments when the government can step in to prevent a "harm" to someone.

This is the view of the Libertarian Party and from what I can tell, the majority of practicing libertarians.

Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.